The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1887-02-02
MAKING or CHARCOAL.
Origin ana Uses Of tho Product.

~ W Duril, Of TCuuCo W coal OF CARBON,
and "coal" is torn reforable to all
black substances. Charcoal means, lit
orally, wood reduced to impure carbon
by cxpolling tho volatile matter. In
tllo early history Of tho IRON trade it was
an ingredient Of The first Importance.
Our present name for fossil coal is bor-
r0wcd from this material. When made
from beech wood it was called "beech
coal"
CarbonGing wood is very ancient, as
it was described in detail in the works
OF 4 Greek author who wrote 300 years
Is. Z. Plny reports that at this time
to make charcoal the wood was stacked
up III pyramids and covered with clay
or plaster, which was pierced in various
places to allow the smoke to escape.
The ancicnts evidently knew how to
i%sfaNkc charcoal, and were familiar with
sNSi properties and uses. Tho Chinese,
no have singularly perfected many
branches Of industry, carbonize wood IN
u subtcrrancan furnace provided with
two openings, one to serve as q CHM
ncy aud the other for ventilation.
When tho subtcrrancan furnace is filled
with wood piled up vertically, it is COW
cred with twigs and branches Of trees,
and lastly Garth. 1t is then ignitetl at
The openings, and as soon as the smoke
comes off in sufficient abundance the
valves arc closed SO far as TO leave OH
ly q very small opening. Five days af-
ter tho fire has beon igntcd the smoke
commences to clear up, and finally to
Dccomo perfectly transparent, in proof
that the combustion of all the volatile
ingredients of the wood is complete,
When this point is reached cvory out
let is Theoretically sealed, and i'll the
course Of six days more the contents Of
tho furnace will be found to be SUM-
GENTLY cool to admit Of the removal of
tho charge
Tho Chinese method is one of extreme
simplicity, and furnishes thirty to thir-
Iy-iiye per cent. Of hard, resonant char
foal, and is q great improvement on tho
processes followed in this country and
europe. III the Eastern States for
moro than one hundred years the for
ests on the hillside have been dcspoiled
Of their trees, and great quantities Of
charcoal havo been made for usc in the
manufacture OF charcoal iron. SO much
injury has been donc to the country by
the ruthless manner in which this work
has been done that it is question
whether all Of The iron manu- factured
can compensate for the damage. If the
person who first nYentcd charcoal had
dug down into Tho bowels Of the earth
and brought to light the coal buried
there and had never discovered how to
carhonizc The wood, it would have been
an untold blessing to the beauty Of our
forests, irrigation Of our soil, and to the
many stories that have been woven
around the charcoal camp-of monarchs
III disguise, seeking to escape pursuit;
Of outlaws fleeing from the myrmitons
of the law; Of lost huntsmcn, abducted
children; Of gnomes and wood spirits
and kobboldc; Of hcrmits and saintey
men -affording a confusion Of history,
superstition and religion, which lends
to the depths Of the forests a charm Pc
culiarly it's own.
Chs:coal-burncrs, as q rule, are rude
sci everywhere, living, as they do, apatr
from the dwellings Of men, often in
holles not made with hands, out of tho
reach Of chools.
In "olden times" charcoal-burners
wcro called colliers, an occupation
which furnished the family name Of
Collier, Collycr and Colyear. Some
years ago it was discovered that wood
charcoal removes offensive smells from
animal substances, and counteracts
their putrofaction. This property has
been largely used in dwellings,, hospit-
ais, sewers and manufactures. Some
gases arc absorbed to q largo extont;
for example, ono volume Of fresh char
coal will absorb ninety volumes Of am
monia, flfty-flve volumes Of sulphurct-
ed hydrogen, thirty -nyo volumes Of car
bonic acid, and 1.75 volumes Of hydro
gen. Charcoal also absorbs q consider
able quantity'of water from the atmos-
phere.
Charcoal Is one Of tho most indestruc-
tiblo substances in nature which has
been known from the earliest times.
The Romans charrod the stakes which
were used for the construction of bridp-
cs, and after q lapse Of nearly 1000
years, tho remains OF tho woodwork in
tho foundation Of the famous bridge
built by Caesar over tho Rhine have